Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Riviera-Palace Hotel was built between 1898 and 1901 on the hill of the Annonciade in Menton, at the initiative of the Swiss hotelier Joseph-Arthema Widmer, father of the first owner, Madame Cheurlot. Designed by architects Abel Glena and Alfred-Auguste Marsang, the three-storey palace hotel, surrounded by a 15-hectare park, embodied the luxury of the Belle Époque. A wall frieze decorated with turquoise ceramics, made by Guillaume Cerutti-Maori, decorated its facade, evoking the cosmopolitan origins of its clientele.

Between 1910 and 1914, the hotel was raised on two floors and equipped with two towers and a west wing, bringing its capacity to 250 rooms. After 1920, outbuildings were added: a wing for employees, a cooks' house, laundry facilities, and a 300-seat showroom. The settlement, requisitioned during the Second World War by the German army (1942-1944), suffered damage during the bombings of 1944-1945. It closed permanently in 1958, transformed into apartments, while its park was reduced to 1,500 m2.

Ranked a two-stage historical monument (1979 for interiors, 2011 for facades and garden), the Riviera-Palace has also been labeled "Twentieth Century Heritage" since 2001. Its entrance hall, large living room, marble staircase and music salon testify to its long history. Architects Abel Glena and Alfred-Auguste Marsang, as well as the painter Cerutti-Maori, left a major artistic imprint, mixing neo-classicism and eclectic decors.

The historical context of Menton, which became a popular resort between 1860 and 1914 thanks to the train, explains the rise of such palaces. The hotel reflects the urbanization of the western valleys of the old city, marked by the construction of villas and tourist facilities. Its requisition during the war and its conversion into housing illustrate the upheavals of the twentieth century, between the decline of luxury hotels and heritage preservation.

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